Clarence Clemons, Saxophone Player For Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band, Has Died
Written on July 17, 2011 by Lucy Coughlan
The Big Man is gone and Bruce Springsteens E Street Band will never quite be the same. Saxophonist Clarence Clemons died Saturday of complications from a stroke he suffered on June 12. He was age 69.
The tributes to the talented musician have been pouring in since the announcement of his death, led by Springsteen in a statement on his website, where he described the loss of Clemons as immeasurable.
Springsteens statement about his old friend arrived just hours after Clemons death on Saturday.
Clarence lived a wonderful life, Springsteen begins. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him.
He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years.
Springsteens comments concludes with the following:
He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.
One only need to listen to famous Springsteen tunes like Thunder Road, Badlands, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out or Born to Run to understand just how vital a role Clemons played with Springsteen and the E Street Band. A big man in stature with an equally big sound coming from his saxophone, Clemons provided the soul and funk wrapped up with Springsteens rock n roll style.
Clemons had played with Springsteen since 1972; theres a great story fans know well of how Clemons came to join the E Street Band after a chance encounter with Springsteen at a bar in Asbury Park, NJ.
When away from the E Street Band, Clemons worked with a host of artists throughout his career from the Grateful Dead and Ringo Starr to Aretha Franklin, Roy Orbison and Jackson Browne. In 2009, he published a memoir, “Big Man: Real Life and Tall Tales.”
Last month Clemons performed on the American Idol finale episode with Lady Gaga.
He will be missed.
When the change was made uptown And the big man joined the band From the coastline to the city All the little pretties raise their hands
- Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
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